1. How did you get your start?
My first job was at Bristol Auction Rooms and I fell in love with everything about it. Not just the objects but the characters, even the smell of the dust.
After I moved to London, I enjoyed my time at Phillips Auctioneers but was keen to move into galleries. I contacted the BADA and they let me know about a job coming up at Ackermann Johnson gallery in Belgravia, and that was it.
2. Why sculpture?
In the 10 years I’ve specialised in sculpture it’s been wonderful to witness the rise of interest in this genre.
As a somewhat neglected area of the market, sculpture is one of the few areas where a collector can still create a world-class museum-level collection. It remains an exciting market in which only a very few galleries specialise.
3. Biggest threat to the market?
Rents. In my first six months in Mayfair, which operates on an international level destination, I met major collectors from the UK, USA, India, China, and the Middle East. But when rents are ever increasing, that poses a real challenge.
4. Galleries vs Fairs?
Galleries offer the most potential to nurture artists’ careers over the long term. I was embarking on the new gallery last year when Leslie Waddington died.
His obituaries described how he gave lifelong support to artists and that you never heard a bad word from collectors about him. It’s inspiring to hear of gallerists being a powerful force of good.
Commercial galleries sadly still have the reputation of being unfriendly and exclusive which is of course untrue. They are a fantastic public resource open to all.
5. Real ale or espresso martini?
Butcombe please. You can take the girl out of Somerset…
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please contact francesallitt@auctiontechnologygroup.com
